The extraordinary resignation letter that Defence Secretary Jim Mattis handed to a surprised President Donald Trump was not just a product of two years of accumulating frustration with an impulsive boss, but an outline of the strategic hazards facing the next Pentagon chief.

Mattis, who was quietly back at work Friday while stunned Pentagon staff soldiered on around him, implicitly warned in his letter to the president of the threat to the US from allowing alliances to fray and of the risk that disrespecting allies will undermine US credibility. It was an outline of the challenges facing the nation and whoever takes over as defence secretary when Mattis leaves Feb. 28.

“As this Administration continues to implode, Secretary Mattis’ extraordinary resignation is a significant loss and a real indication that President Trump’s foreign policy agenda has failed and continues to spiral into chaos,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Mattis announced on Thursday his plan to resign, a move prompted by the decision by the president to pull all of the approximately 2,000 US troops from the fight against the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria. Mattis also was dismayed by plans under consideration to cut the number of US troops in Afghanistan and, as his letter made clear, did not see eye to eye with a president who has expressed disdain for NATO and doubts about keeping troops in Asia.

Rafael Nadal has donated 1 million euros (USD 1.15 million) to the victims of the flash floods that hit the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca. The Island is the tennis superstar’s hometown and local authorities made an announcement regarding his contribution on Thursday.

A total of 13 people were killed after flash floods hit Mallorca on October 9, reports Efe news.

“We know about his affection and humanity, which is as great as his talent and his results and he has shown that both on and off the court,” the local government said in a statement.

Nadal donated the money despite being unable to take part in a charity exhibition match aimed at helping people who were affected by the disaster. The 17-time Grand Slam champion joined the clean-up operations and opened up his academy for the victims.

At least 12 people were killed as heavy rain and flash floods hit Sant Llorenc on the Spanish island of Mallorca later on October 9, emergency services said. Images posted on social media showed cars being swept along narrow streets by torrents of brown water.

The UN General Assembly has adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first-ever negotiated global framework on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions.

It is meant to address issues that concern the world’s 258 million people on the move and countries of origin, transit and destination.

The compact was adopted by the General Assembly with 152 votes in favour in Marrakesh, Morocco, on December 10.

India voted in favour of the resolution while, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, and US voted against it.

After the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the document reaffirms the foundational principles of global community, including national sovereignty and universal human rights.

He said that through this, the UN stands ready to support Member States and all partners to make migration work for all.

Though non-legally binding, the Compact is the outcome of a long negotiation process and provides a strong platform for cooperation on migration, drawing on best practices and international law.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday announced a Rs 10,000-crore scheme for the overall development of farmers in the state. The state cabinet has approved the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme, worth over Rs 10,000 crore, for the development of farmers in the state, the chief minister said. “The KALIA is historic and it will further accelerate agricultural prosperity in the state and reduce poverty,” Patnaik told reporters after the Cabinet meeting chaired by him approved the scheme.

“There are about 32 lakh cultivators in the state. Out of this about 20 lakh have availed crop loan. The remaining 12 lakh have not availed crop loans. “Further the entire gamut of share croppers and landless labourers will not be covered under a loan waiver scheme,” Patnaik said. The chief minister said “This component is not linked to the extent of land owned. It will greatly benefit share croppers and actual cultivators most of whom own very small extent of land. This assistance is for five crop seasons spanning three years from 2018-19 to 2021-22, so as to ensure comprehensive coverage.”

Kerala and Himachal Pradesh, with matching scores, have emerged as the top performing states in Niti Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) index, which evaluates each state’s progress in social, economic and environmental parameters.

According to the ‘SDG India Index Baseline Report 2018’ released on Friday, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the front runners with an score of 69 out of 100, followed by Tamil Nadu with 66. Uttar Pradesh was worst performing state with a score of 42, followed by Bihar and Assam.

“Kerala’s top rank is attributed to its superior performance in providing good health, reducing hunger, achieving gender equality and providing quality education,” noted the SDG India report.

“Himachal Pradesh ranks high on providing clean water and sanitation, in reducing inequalities and preserving mountain ecosystem,” it said.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba issued an order authorising ten central agencies with “interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer”.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order on Thursday enabling the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi to intercept information stored on any computer device.

According to the notification, the subscriber or service provider or any person in charge of the computer resource will be bound to extend all facilities and technical assistance to the agencies and failing to do will invite seven-year imprisonment and fine.

Famed Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary on December 22 is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. Born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, the story of Ramanujan’s tryst with mathematics is one of the most engaging tales read, depicted and performed through various works of art. Dev Patel-starrer ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ (2015) was the latest tribute to the mathematics wizard by the popular cinema. It was in 2012 that then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared December 22 as National Mathematics Day.

Born into an orthodox Iyengar Brahmin family, Ramanujan’s strictly vegetarian diet and frugal eating habits took a toll on the genius’ health in London’s inclement winters where he couldn’t endure the off-shore climate, resulting in his return to Tamil Nadu where he breathed his last in Kumbakonam at a remarkably young age of 32.

After a series of relaxations in the external commercial borrowings (ECB) norms, Reserve Bank of India on Thursday announced a cap of 6.5 per cent of GDP at current market prices giving lot more headroom for raising money overseas.

“It has been decided in consultation with the Government of India to have a rule-based dynamic limit for outstanding stock of ECB at 6.5 per cent of GDP at current market prices,” RBI said in a release. This, it said, works out to a soft limit of $160 billion based on the GDP figures as on March 31, 2018.

With the outstanding stock of ECB as on September 30, 2018 was at $126.29 billion, the rise in limit to $160 billion gives enough headroom for additional ECB borrowings.

RBI last month reduced mandatory hedging provision to 70 per cent from 100 per cent for loans with maturities between three and five years, which would bring down the cost of borrowing.

Indian aviation sector maintained the highest safety audit rating in 2018 from global auditors, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the government said on December 19.

"Two important safety audits conducted by ICAO and FAA have given highest possible safety audit standards followed by the aviation sector," Suresh Prabhu, union minister for civil aviation told reporters.

India has been, provisionally, given 74 percent marks by ICAO and has maintained Category 1 (highest category) under International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) by FAA in 2018. It was last upgraded in 2015 after a downward revision to Category 2 in 2014.

"When we came to power in 2014, FAA had just downgraded India. But subsequent to that, we have doubled the air traffic and increased airports from 67 to 101. So, there has been an exponential and dramatic increase in both the areas. Nonetheless, in safety, we have immeasurably strengthened our systems," Jayant Sinha, minister of state, civil aviation said.

India and China have decided to further improve people-to- people contact for better relations between the two countries. 

Speaking at the 3rd India-China High Level Media Forum alongside her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in New Delhi, Mrs Swaraj said, they discussed enhancing cooperation in ten areas areas media, films, education, tourism, art, yoga, culture, sports, academic and youth exchanges. 

Ms Swaraj said, the Forum underscores the seminal role played by the media of the two countries in building mutual appreciation and understanding. The Minister pitched for increasing bilateral trade. She said India has undertaken several measures to improve economic ties and sought China's cooperation in this direction. 

The Minister said the two sides should work as they have similar goals of achieving better healthcare services for their people and improving their lifestyles. Ms Swaraj said good progress has  been made in the bilateral relations since the Wuhan Summit earlier this year. 

Speaking at the event, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi underlined the need for increasing people-to-people exchanges to benefit the mankind.

Earlier, the two Foreign Ministers held the first meeting of India-China High-Level Mechanism on cultural exchanges and people to people contacts. The new mechanism aims to build synergies in people-to-people ties.